Part-time worker Kerri Hujsak said that when she came into work Thursday morning, she didn't think it would be for the last time.

"I punched in," she said. "My manager came in, they had meeting and came back and told us that all part-timers were laid off temporarily."

Store director Marty Maguire said the decision came from the company's co-CEOs, and he had no choice.

"We cannot schedule any time part-time associates because the amount of business we are doing is down 90 percent," Maguire said. "We can barely put all our full-timers on. So they have no hours."

Co-CEO Felicia Thornton sent a notice later in the day to store directors that workers aren't really being laid off.

"All store directors are to let their associates know that they are not laid off," Thornton said. "All store directors as part of their normal responsibilities are able to and often do reduce hours but they need to make clear when doing so that the individuals are still employees of (Demoulas Supermarkets)."

And a spokesperson for the company said store directors were told not to lay anyone off, but rather to adjust hours as needed to meet the current demand. The company said it's urging stores to restock their shelves in an effort to bring customers back.

Employees said they desperately need those hours.

"I started to cry," Hujsak said. "It's income. We have families. It shouldn't have come to this."

Workers have been protesting the ouster of former CEO Arthur T. Demoulas, and many customers said they're joining a boycott of the stores until Demoulas is restored. Demoulas has offered to buy the company, and the board of directors said it is also considering other offers.

The company has reportedly been losing millions of dollars each day as the protests have continued. Workers said Demoulas provided good jobs while keeping prices low for customers and turning a profit.

Store managers said they are helping their workers file for unemployment. Employment Security Commissioner George Copadis said he's encouraging all employees to file a claim, which they can do online.

"If someone doesn't have access to the Internet at home, we encourage them to go our local offices, and we can provide assistance there for them."

The Massachusetts Attorney General's Office opened a hotline for Market Basket employees. The hotline is staffed by members of the office's Fair Labor Division and can be reached at 617-963-2400.

Attorney General Martha Coakley said shortly before noon that her had office received more than 100 calls over the past 24 hours and expected many more in the coming days.

New Hampshire Gov. Maggie Hassan said Market Basket employs an estimated 8,000 part-time workers at its stores in the state. She said Employment Security has been working with store managers to make sure workers know about the resources available to them.

"The reports about these reductions in hours are incredibly troubling, as many of these dedicated employees have been showing up for work and clearly value the company's past, present and future," Hassan said. "I continue to urge Market Basket leadership to listen to the concerns of their employees and customers and reach a constructive resolution in order to keep these dedicated workers employed and reduce the impact on consumers."

The New Hampshire Attorney General's Office doesn't handle employment issues like the Massachusetts office does, so anyone with urgent questions should call Employment Security at 603-223-6126.

Last week, Coakley and New Hampshire Attorney General Joseph Foster sent a letter to Market Basket's leadership reminding them of the laws surrounding worker terminations.